So one more con might just be necessary, and that was a shame, because she was starting to really like the guy.
Still, she had to outsmart them all. Her cunning was her only advantage here.
She took a deep breath and walked down the hall and into the bedroom. Her sleeping bag lay unrolled on the floor, the clothes she’d worn yesterday right on top of it. Her toothbrush was visible in the still unzipped makeup bag, and her cooler sat beside the rest.
She sat down on top of the cooler and let her head fall into her hands. Her father would be ashamed of her, making such a rookie mistake.
“So you’ve been staying here,” Rob said from the doorway.
Looking up quickly, she met his eyes, read them, saw that he wasn’t just guessing. He knew. “How do you know it’s my stuff? Could be anyone’s.”
He smiled a little. “Well, I’m a guy. A guy’s not gonna forget an outfit like that. At least not within twenty-four hours.” He nodded at the rumpled white top and ruffly skirt as he said it. “Besides, the upstairs bathroom smells like your perfume. And also, you didn’t even look in any of the other rooms. You came straight to this one.”
“Didn’t know I was under surveillance,” she said.
He frowned, his big brows bending as he studied her. “You weren’t. I don’t believe in that kind of thing. I came upstairs 30 seconds behind you to check out the alleged squatter. I wasn’t trying to be sneaky.”
She sighed, lowering her eyes, looking for a believable story to spin for him.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Kiley. I’m not gonna judge you.”
She brought her head up slowly. “I’m not a liar.”
“Good. I’m glad, because I really believe in honesty. It’s a big deal to me.”
“To me too.” She bit her lip, because she’d just lied to him again, and she hadn’t even meant to.
“You spent every penny you had on your share of this place. You don’t have anywhere else to stay. Am I close?”
She didn’t know how to respond. Honesty did not come naturally to her. It felt too close to vulnerability. “It’s only a temporary thing. I’ve got funds on the way, I uh, just...there was a delay, and I haven’t got a bank account set up here, yet, and—”
“You have nowhere else to stay.”
“Not at the moment.”
“But you never mentioned that when you told me I could live in the house.”
She shrugged. “I never said you could live here alone.”
He pursed his lips, nodded slowly. “So you’re nitpicking words when we both know what you implied, what I understood? Come on, Kiley, you’re too good for that.” He came further into the room, handed her the paper plate that held her untouched slice of pizza. “It’s gonna get cold,” he said. Then he manifested two long-necked brown bottles from the back of his jeans, and handed her one of those, as well.
She took it. “Thanks. And...I’m sorry.” She took a big bite of pizza, and it was delicious, so she took another. Then she twisted the cap off the bottle, and washed the bite down with a swig of beer. “This is good,” she said, looking at the label.
“Algernon West. It’s a little microbrewery out in Tucker Lake. The locals love it.” He took a swig of his own. “So what are we gonna do about this?”
“I don’t know. I really thought I’d have options, but....” She trailed off there, because he was looking at her like he knew she was lying. He was good. How did he do that?
“You have an idea, though,” he said. “You’ve known you had nowhere to go a lot longer than I have, so you’ve had time to think on it. Come on, tell me. How was this all playing out in your mind?”
She blinked three times, and couldn’t find a lie that would make a bit of difference to him. He’d rocked her, knocked her off her game. No one had ever done that before. No one other than Kendra.
Kendra was so good. So much better at the game than Kiley was. She could fool Kiley almost every time when they were kids. But Kiley had never once fooled Kendra.
“Don’t try to come up with a plausible story, just tell me the truth,” he said, watching her face like a hawk watches a mouse. “Try it and see what happens. I dare you.”
She frowned. Just telling the truth and seeing what happened had never even occurred to her. The Kellogg girls had been raised to never tell the truth unless they couldn’t come up with a lie that sounded better and would elicit sympathy for their cause, whatever that cause happened to be.
Telling the truth just because he asked…wow, was that how normal people really lived?
He was looking at her face, his eyes kind of roaming it all over, and nodding encouragement at her. Sighing, she said, “I guess I was thinking we could try living together. I mean, not living together,” she added rapidly, “Just...sharing the house. It’s big enough. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and if we shared living expenses we’d both have more extra money to put into the ranch.” She bit her lip. “Not that money’s an issue for you.”
“It is, actually. I want to do this on my own, with money I’ve earned, not the family fortune. I’d just as soon add to it as I go along, then leave it all for my kids.”
“You have kids?” she asked, stunned.
He smiled, shook his head. “No. But I might someday.”
She did not understand him. He had a fortune he didn’t want to spend. He wanted to make it bigger so he could give it away to kids that didn’t even exist yet. She didn’t think she’d ever met anyone like this guy. He was completely crazy.
He came further into the room and sat down on her sleeping bag, reached up to take a couple of potato chips from her plate. “So like I told you before, honesty is important to me. I decided about a year ago to tell the truth all the time.”
“Got lied to, huh?” she asked, taking a seat beside him. He shot her a surprised look and she shrugged. “Was it a woman?”
“It was.”
“She break your heart?”
He pressed his lips, then said, “Cracked it pretty badly. Hurt my pride a lot. But mostly I just felt like an idiot for falling for her game.”
She’d never thought about that before, about people who bought into a game feeling stupid afterward.
“Kiley, I can’t be in business, much less share a house, with someone I can’t trust.”
“That’s kind of a stupid rule, Rob.”
His brows went up. “Why’s that?”
“Because everyone is out for themselves in this world. You’re better off not trusting anyone, ever. People are always gonna do what’s best for them, and if it hurts someone else, too bad.”
“Every man for himself, huh?”
“And every woman.”
He nodded. “Well, I guess we’re gonna have to agree to disagree about that philosophy. But as to the rest...I meant what I said. I can’t be in business with someone I can’t trust.”
“Well, how do I make you trust me?” she asked.
“By being honest.”
“Well, how do I know I can trust you?”
He studied her, nodding slowly. “Good point. Okay, how about this? We both agree, here and now, that we’ll always do what’s best for the ranch. That way, you can feel comfortable that you know my motives well enough to be honest with me. Do you think you can do that?”
She thought for a second, then lied. “I can if you can.”
“Good,” he said. “So I’m gonna ask you a question. And I’d like you to answer me honestly.”
“Are you testing me?” She was starting to get pissed. How dare he?
“No. I don’t play games like that. I just have a simple question. Remember that guy who was bidding against us at the auction?”
“Sure I do.” She looked around the bedroom. Where the hell was her purse?
“Did you put something in his coffee?” Rob asked.
It was in the car, that’s where her purse was. In the car, and the car was unlocked, and he’d probably looked inside it, given that he’d
already admitted he didn’t trust her as far as he could throw her. So he knew. He was testing her. The rich, arrogant bastard.
“Kiley?”
She slugged back more of the beer, swallowed hard. “Ipecac,” she said. “A few drops of ipecac. It’s harmless, they give it to toddlers to make ‘em yak up stuff they shouldn’t have eaten. Poison berries and what not. He had to go puke, and we got our ranch. No harm done.”
He looked at her like he’d never seen her before, blinked as if in shock, got up and turned toward the door.
“Oh come on, Rob.” She jumped to her feet, too. “We would’ve lost the place if I hadn’t—”
“Just because you’re gonna lose doesn’t mean you get to cheat,” he said.
“Cheat my Oklahoman ass. Where is the law that says you can’t make a guy puke to get what you want?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s called assault.”
“Assault? He threw up. I didn’t hurt him. God, why are you being so dramatic?”
He kept walking. She raced after him. “You told me to be honest. You said you wouldn’t judge me. Who’s the liar now, Rob? You’re just a pampered, rich son of a gun who’s always been able to buy anything he wants. You’ve got no clue what it’s like to be denied, to have to struggle, to not know where your next meal is coming from, to have nothing to your name but a POS car held together with chewing gum and twine, and not even know where you’re gonna sleep from one night to the next, and—”
“Okay, okay.” He put his hands up like she’d pulled a gun on him, then turned slowly, and lowered them again. “You’re right, I was judging you. And you’re also right that I don’t know what your life has been like. I’m sorry.” He sighed. “Thank you for being honest with me about the...ipecac.”
He had cut her off just as she was working up to a great rant. It was frustrating. He was frustrating. “You’re...welcome. I guess.”
“I can’t move back into my room over the saloon. Jason’s already rented it out. So I guess we’ll have to try this your way.”
She blinked in shock. “You mean...share the house?”
“Yeah. I mean share the house.” He nodded past her, at the room she’d just exited. “I take it you’d like this to be your room?”
She nodded.
“Okay.” He turned away again, then paused at the top of the stairs. “How much exploring have you done since you’ve been back? You look in the barns yet?”
She shook her head. “The barns are probably still packed full of junk, both of them. Been that way for as long as I can remember. When we were kids, Dad forbade us from going anywhere near them. We did anyway, but…” She stopped there. “Why do you ask?”
“There’s an old car out in the big barn. God only knows if it’s salvageable, but I think it’s in better shape than the one you’re driving. Edie’s husband Wade owns the garage in town. I’ll ask him to give it the once-over. No labor charge for family. Just parts, and he might be able to find used ones or salvaged ones and make it work.”
“But...I’m not family,” she said.
“I am. You’re my business partner, so that’s close enough.”
He continued down the stairs.
Kiley tipped her head to one side and watched him go. His long legs and easy stride, his broad shoulders in that denim shirt, and the dark curly hair that tickled onto his neck and probably needed a trim.
He was not for real. He could not possibly be what he was trying to convince her he was. Captain America. An overgrown Boy Scout. The last honest man on planet Earth. He couldn’t be that.
Which only meant one thing. He was trying to con her. And since the only thing she had of value was her half of this ranch, that must be what he was after.
But no. He could’ve bought it on his own. He had plenty of money. He didn’t have to partner up with her. So if he was after anything, it wasn’t the ranch.
Her eyes widened. Maybe he just wanted to get her in the sack. Could that be it? Were rich people so stupid about money that they’d spend half a million just to get girl into bed?
Probably.
No. She didn’t think that was it, either.
It occurred to her that he might just be a nice, honest, decent man. She didn’t really think there were such things, but if there were, they would probably be in Big Falls, Oklahoma. Maybe he was the last of a dying breed?
Nah.
Chapter Five
* * *
The night was lit by a billion twinkling stars, a million blinking fireflies, and three sets of fading red taillights as the Brand-McIntyre fleet rolled away.
Robert stood in the middle of his living room, which no longer echoed like a cave, because it was full of stuff. Crossing his arms over his chest, he perused the modular sofa that fit the room like it was made to be there. Fawn colored leather, butter soft, and not a hint of wear.
“You’re looking at that couch like you’re deep in conversation with it.” Kiley stepped over the still-rolled-up, braided area rug and dropped onto the couch, bouncing a few times to test it out. She patted the cushions on either side of her. “I think it’s awesome. That Edie has taste.”
Edie had been the first of Vidalia’s daughters to take her aside and say something nice to her. “I heard about your sister. I can’t even imagine,” she’d said, and she’d glanced past Kiley at her own sisters and her eyes had grown wet. She was beautiful, blond and the most put-together woman Kiley thought she’d ever seen. “If you need anything, just let me know.”
She hadn’t seemed to have any other motive.
Each of the sisters had done the same at one point or another during the evening of cleaning. Selene had taken hold of her hands and told her Kendra was still with her, and always would be, and she’d given her a little crystal stone she said was supposed to ease the pain of grief. Kara invited her to come by for coffee anytime she needed company. She was home days, running her daycare center and would love the chance to get to know her better. Maya had given her a long hug and told her she would love to have an unofficial little sister to love, and so would the rest of her family.
That one had almost made her cry. She’d never met women like them before.
Rob sighed loudly, snapping her back to the moment. He started to say something, then stopped, and looked at the sofa again.
“What? You don’t like it?” she asked.
“I don’t not like it, it’s just....”
“Oh.” She nodded knowingly. “It’s used,” she said. “And you’re not used to sitting on other folks’ castoffs.”
“Don’t make it sound like I’m a snob.”
“That’s kind of the definition of a snob,” she said.
“What, that I’ve never owned used furniture before?” He shook his head in denial. “No. That doesn’t make me a snob.”
She patted the spot beside her. “Prove it.” And when he hesitated, she added, “Come on, Rob. Edie said she had it cleaned just before she put it in storage. And if you ask me, she probably had plastic over it before then. That woman is flawless.”
“She used to be a model,” he said. “And just so you know, in Brand lexicon, ‘storage’ means Vidalia’s barn.” Still, he crossed the room and sat down on the sofa beside her. It stretched out five feet or more in either direction, curving into a lazy L.
“They really came through for us. Well, for you, I guess. Since they don’t know I’m shacking up with you yet.”
“They know.”
She blinked and sat up straighter. “Aw, come on, you didn’t tell them I had nowhere else to go, did you?”
He was still leaning back on the sofa. “I told you I wouldn’t tell anyone that.”
“I know you did. So did you tell them anyway?”
He frowned at her. “No. I told them we’re gonna share the house and see how it goes. I don’t make promises and not keep them, Kiley. I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
She looked at him hard, tipping her head to one side. “Not ever?
”
“Not ever.”
She pondered that for a moment. Then she straightened her head and nodded hard. “Suppose someone asked you if their jeans made their ass look fat. And suppose that those jeans did, in fact, expand their already massive backside to mammoth proportions. What then?”
“I’d look at their soul. And I’d tell them they were beautiful.”
“Oh my God. I think I might just puke.”
He laughed.
“Don’t laugh at me.”
“I can’t help it. You’re so damn cute. Twenty-three and making me feel every bit of my own thirty-two years.”
“Oh, yeah. You’re ancient,” she said.
His laughter died, but the killer smile remained. He looked at her as if he really enjoyed looking at her. “Will you tell me about yourself?”
She sighed and thought for a second, searching her mind for an answer, trying to spin one from whole cloth. Then he said, “Will you tell me something true about yourself?”
“Still harping on the truth thing, are you?” she asked, but she said it real softly.
“I just went into business with a girl I’ve known for about a day. Yeah, I’m harping on the truth thing.” He shrugged. “It’s important to me. It wasn’t always, but it’s who I am now.”
Taking a slow inhale, she nodded, thinking hard. “I miss my sister.”
Her answer took him by surprise, she thought. “Hell, Kiley, I’m sorry.”
“We hadn’t seen each other in like a year.” She leaned forward, balanced her elbows on her knees, clasped her hands. “We didn’t get along once we grew up. But as kids we were really close.”
“Twins, right?”
She snapped her gaze his way. “How did you know that?”
“Vidalia remembers you as little girls. Said she never knew what happened to you, why you left Big Falls.”
He waited, but she didn’t volunteer an answer to that. She said, “We were inseparable. We roamed the woods on this place like we were born in a den and raised by coyotes.”
“Did it drive your dad crazy?”
“No. He preferred us outside. If he kept us indoors we tended to break things. Oh my God, the day we shot our bb guns in the attic and broke the stained glass window, I thought he’d kill us both.” She closed her eyes. “I didn’t know it then, but it was my mother’s favorite part of the house. I regret breaking it to this day. But back then…hell, we were kids. What did we know?”
Oklahoma Moonshine (The McIntyre Men #1) Page 5